Slow Cooker Crispy Carnitas
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This is the type of recipe our readers go crazy over. Slow Cooker Carnitas are a dump-and-go crock pot meal that is easy, freezes well before or after cooking, and feeds an army. Give the tender, shredded meat at the end for that extra crisp!
Reasons You’ll Love this Recipe
- It’s EASY! Simply season the pork and cook it in the Crock Pot with the simple marinade.
- It’s freezer friendly. Carnitas are a great recipe to double and freeze. You can also fully cook it and freeze it in small portions. So many options!
- It feeds a lot of people. This Big Batch recipe can easily feed 10+ people. Here are 25+ Slow Cooker Recipes for a Crowd if you want more ideas.
- It’s a Dump & Go Recipe. You do have to give it a quick broil at the end but that’s it!
- It can also be made in the Instant Pot or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
Like most of our recipes, the ingredients are fairly simple. To make Slow Cooker Carnitas, you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
- 5 cloves garlic – Save time and use pre-minced garlic.
- 1 (3-4 pound) pork shoulder (also known as pork butt or Boston butt), trimmed of excess fat – Here is where we get meat you can trust.
- Lime juice – Fresh is best!
How Long Do I Cook Pork Shoulder in the Slow Cooker?
After testing hundreds of recipes for our slow cooker cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, we found that cooking one (3-4 pound) pork shoulder should take 7-9 hours depending on your slow cooker.
Oftentimes, people take the pork out too early because it appears to be tough and dry. However, the pork needs lots of time to break down the fibers holding the meat together.
When cooked correctly, pork shoulder in the slow cooker should be tender, juicy, and shred easily.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Carnitas
One of the beauties of this meal is that it can be customized and served in so many different ways. That’s why I love making carnitas for large groups. Here are some ideas of how to serve them.
- Change up taco night by using this filling instead of ground beef. To take these OVER THE TOP, make our Cilantro Lime Aioli and Easy Pickled Red Onions to serve as a garnish–YUM!
- Top a leafy green salad with it and other toppings like roasted fresh corn shaved off the cob, diced bell peppers, red onion, and crunched-up tortilla chips.
- Throw this shredded pork in a quesadilla or on top of a “burrito bowl” with brown rice, beans, and your favorite Mexican toppings.
So many options! I personally almost always serve it with our Avocado Lime Salsa.
Make it a Freezer Meal
Method 1: Freeze Before Cooking
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-3 but place all of the ingredients into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw 24-48 hours. Follow steps 5-8.
Method 2: Freeze After Cooking
Freeze For Later: Fully cook, shred, and freeze the carnitas meat.
Just make sure the meat is cooled and then place it in a freezer bag/container with the juices from the slow cooker.
Prepare From Frozen: When you’re ready to eat it, thaw and rewarm over low heat or in the microwave.
FAQs
You bet! We have all of the instructions written up for you in our Instant Pot Carnitas recipe. We also wrote a Dutch Oven Carnitas recipe.
Any hot sauce will work. Most people have a favorite that they keep on hand. Personally, I use Frank’s brand, but I see Tabasco at most restaurants.
Both will work. I have found that using a bone-in pork shoulder does yield more tender pork but you don’t get as much meat from the cut.
Yes, this recipe will work to cook on high in the Crock Pot. It should be done in 4-5 hours.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Slow Cooker Carnitas
The seasoning and marinade, plus the slow cooking method, pack some serious tangy-smoky-citrusy flavor into the meat. You’ll find yourself going back to this recipe again and again!
Ingredients
- 1 white or yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (3-4 pound) pork shoulder (also known as pork butt or Boston butt), trimmed of excess fat
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup lime juice* (juice of about 4 limes)
- 3/4 cup orange juice* (juice of about 3 oranges)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Optional garnishes: Chopped cilantro, Pineapple Salsa, Pickled Red Onions, Avocado Salsa
*Freshly squeezed is the best!
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- In a small bowl, combine the oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels and then rub the seasoning all over each piece. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Add the seasoned meat, diced onion, minced garlic, lime juice, orange juice, and hot sauce into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.
- Remove the pork to a wooden cutting board, and shred with two forks.
- Optional: Preheat the broiler. Broil the meat on a rimmed baking sheet until crispy – roughly 3-5 minutes. Using tongs, turn the meat over and spoon about 1/4 cup of the juices from the slow cooker over the meat. Broil another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the edges of the meat start to crisp up and turn brown. Remove from the oven and spoon another 1/4 cup of the juices over the cooked pork.
- Serve immediately in tacos, burritos, or salads, or enjoy a la carte.
Freeze For Later*: Follow Steps 1-3 but place all of the ingredients into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw 24-48 hours. Follow steps 5-8.
Notes/Tips
- Tip: Freeze the cooked meat in small portions. When ready to eat, warm in the microwave, slow cooker, or over low heat on the stove top.
- For crispier meat, use our broiling instructions above.
- Try our Dutch Oven Carnitas instead.
- Try our Instant Pot Carnitas instead.
Delicious! Even if you skip e final step of broiling, it still turns out great. Love making this for guests.
It’s a winner for so many. I have skipped that broiling step too sometimes and everyone still loves it. Thank you for leaving a review Tiffaney!
What kind of hot sauce?
Hi Christina. Any hot sauce will work. Most people have a favorite that they keep on hand. Personally, I use Frank’s brand, but I see Tabasco at most restaurants.
I would give this recipe more than 5 stars if I could! It’s AMAZING! My sister made it for family dinner one night and ever since it’s become a staple recipe for us! My 1 year old niece is so picky anymore and she ALWAYS wants to eat these! If I’m on a time crunch I cook them on high for 5-6 hours and they come out great still!
Hi Ashley! Thanks for letting others know how much your family enjoys these and how you cooked it differently than our instructions and it turned out great.
Hi, what other meat can I use instead of pork, please?
I think boneless, skinless chicken thighs would work well. But, you’ll have to sauté or microwave the onions first and the cook time will change to 3 to 4 hours on low in slow cooker or 7 minutes in Instant Pot. Let us know how it turns out!
I used leftover pulled pork and leftover pot roast with this instead of the pork shoulder. I mixed the spices and liquids together in a bowl then poured them on my meat which I then put in the oven. (I skipped the slow cooker step since the meat was already cooked.) It was fantastic!
Good to know it works this way. Thanks, Katie.
Everyone in my family loved it!!
That’s a big win! My family is a big fan of this one as well. Glad you enjoyed it.
My very favorite crock pot meal
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Delicious!! I’ve made this a few times and our whole family loves it. It has become a family favorite meal that my kids get excited about!
Awesome, love it when the kids approve too!
Hi. Could you send me you original Pulled Pork With a Mexican Flare recipe? Thanks!!
Did you change or update this recipe? I saved it in my notes, but I don’t remember it ever having lime juice and OJ in it?
And I thought I also remember you had to put all spices in a food processor. Thanks
At the beginning you state “Slow Cooker Carnitas are a dump-and-go crock pot meal that’s easy to make, freezes well before or after cooking”. The recipe talks about freezing before cooking. I was wondering if anything special needs to be done if freezing after cooking? Thinking of making my nephew, the starving college student.
You are so sweet to think about feeding your college-aged nephew, Kim. I would have loved to have an aunt like you back then! Hey, such a good point. I’m going to update the recipe to include this info. But, the main thing to know is you’ll want to freeze the fully cooked, shredded meat in the juice/sauce so it won’t dry out. Then, he can rewarm it in the microwave and serve it in a tortilla. Hope that helps!
Thanks, for the information. It was a Christmas gift idea for him. To have 3 deliveries of 4 meals. Got the first delivery in of Chicken Fried Rice, Zucchini Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies, Beef and Bean Burritos and Pesto Chicken Lasagna Rolls before COVID restrictions started. So starting it up again now that he’s moved back to school.
That’s one of the best gift ideas ever!! Love it.
Can this be made a day in advanced and then broiled and placed in the slow cooker to stay warm? TIA
Great idea, Marla. I think that would work just fine.
We’ve made this a couple of times now and it has become a family favorite! So good!!
never fail – always a hit!!
This is the best! I made it using my electric pressure cooker, and putting it under the broiler at the end gave it the perfect crispy texture on the edges. This was for a family gathering of nine – a total hit! I am keeping this as a totally dependable recipe for serving a group. Thank you, Polly!
Hey, hey, this great to hear, Kris. Thank you for the feedback and review!
Have made this several times, and it always comes out great!
Wahoo! It’s for sure a go-to for my house too. Glad you like it, Becky!
Awesome, thanks for the review, Becky!